Program controlled switching device insertable into a power supply outlet

ABSTRACT

A switching device insertable between an electric outlet and a load closes and breaks a circuit between the outlet and the load at certain points of time or in accordance with other predetermined conditions. The switching device is built up from a circuit board or a similar device which supports a substantial part or all circuits of the device. First connectors for connection to an outlet which provides a supply voltage are arranged perpendicular out from one side of the circuit board. Second connectors for outputting the supply voltage are arranged perpendicular out from an opposite side of the circuit board. The first and second connectors are centered about a same axis and are mounted at locations about the axis by substantially right angles in relation to each other, whereby input and output parts under tension on the board are located at maximum distance from each other with smallest possible board size.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention refers to a new structure and function ofswitching devices of the type that can be placed between an electricaloutlet and a load in order to close and/or break the circuit between theoutlet and the load at defined times or after occurrence ofpredetermined conditions.

2. Description of the Background Art.

Switching timers for connection in a wall outlet and with a socket for aplug are well known. These are however cumbersome, mostly because theyare provided with devices for setting of times for connection anddisconnection. Electro mechanical switching timers are commonlyconstituted by a ring with tabs or other actuation devices which actuatea switch at times corresponding to the position of the tabs or actuationdevices. At electronic switching timers, the actuation generallycorrespond to different function keys and a display.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide switching devices of afor use in a socket and/or with a socket for a plug that are as compactas possible. Further, an object is to eliminate mechanical or otheractuation devices which are conventionally required in similar devicesto obtain a desired function and to replace such actuation devices withprogrammed electronic functions in order to faciliate a compactstructure. A preferred embodiment of the invention does not include suchexternal actuation devices. These and other objects are accomplished inthat the device according to the invention has been provided with astructure and functions according to that will be described in moredetail as follows.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, itshould be understood that the detailed description and specificexamples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, aregiven by way of illustration only, since various changes andmodifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described with reference to subsequentdrawings, which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are notlimitative of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows the structure of an embodiment of a device according to theinvention.

FIG. 2 diagrammatically shows an example of a block diagram of a deviceaccording to the invention.

FIG. 3 shows an example of an algorithm which can be used in a programfor calculation when dawn and dusk occur.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

On a circuit board 1 or a similar device in the form of a disc two maleconnectors 2 protrude perpendicularly from one side. From the oppositeside of the circuit board 1 two female connectors 3 protrudeperpendicularly in a corresponding manner. The disc or the circuit board1 is intended to support components 4 on one or both sides. Preferablythe female and male connectors are centered about the same axis but arerotated about the axis at substantially right angles in relation to eachother whereby ingaing in and outgoing parts under tension of the boardare located at maximum distance from each other with smallest possibleboard size.

As an alternative embodiment (not shown), one or both of the maleconnectors or the female connectors are replaced with by otherconnectors placed at corresponding locations on the board.

All or the main part of circuits 4 which are necessary for the operationof the switching device are placed on the circuit board 1, on one orboth sides thereof. A housing round the device connects near the board1, but with space for components at the with the male connectors 2, andforms a plug connector. At the other side of the device the housingcompletely surrounds the female connectors 3 and forms a conventionalsocket side, whereby within the housing there is also space forcomponents protruding further outward from the board 1, thus forming aplug connector. The components which are necessary for the functionaccording to the invention however do not normally require any largespace.

The circuits for control of the operation of the switching deviceinclude on one hand one or several switches 10 (FIG. 2) and on the otherhand a control device 9 that controls the switching on and off of theswitch 10, or the several switches 10, in order to close and/or breakthe circuit between the input and output side according to predeterminedconditions. The control device 9 can be built up from conventional microelectronics and may have the functions indicated in closer detail below.

In addition to these circuits there is a DC power supply 7 for currentsupply of the circuits and generally a sensor 8 for sensing light, otherelectromagnetic radiation or sound. An external transmitter 11, whichmay be a remote control transmitter, is illustrated as transmittingsignals which may actuate control device 9. The transmitted signals fromexternal transmitter 11 are detected by sensor 8.

A device according to the invention may be provided with earth groundingconnections at the input and the output side, possibly with connectionto parts of the circuit board that are to be connected to earth.Similarly, the connectors on the input and the output side may bedifferently designed than in FIG. 1, for example the connectors orprongs may be flat.

In order to form a compact unit that may be simply inserted between awall outlet and plug, it also constitutes a part of the invention. Thatpreferably no moving parts or setting devices are included in theswitching device. Each switching device should be designed for a specialfunction. In its simplest embodiment the switching device may bedesigned to keep the outputcircuit connected to the input during apredetermined fixed time after the switching device has been pluggedinto the wall outlet and that this period is repeated every 24 hours.Such a device can be used for example for lighting or for a car heater.It can also be used as a safety shut down for electrical devices such aswater heaters, coffee makers and flat irons, whereby only theoff-switching function is performed a certain time period afterconnection. This embodiment could be used with electrical devices whichdo not have built in 24-hour repetition timers for controlling shut off.

A particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention isobtained when a sensor for detection of daylight is provided and thatthe control device is designed to sense when the daylight ceases andreturns. The sensor 8 for detection of daylight as illustrated generallyin FIG. 1 may be constituted by one or several photo sensitive sensorsthat are placed on the circuit board 1. One or several light guides maybe arranged from the sensor or the sensors to the outside of the housingor the housing can also be made of a material that is light permeable tothe extent to make it possible that suitable frequencies of the daylightwill be able to reach the sensor from outside. Several plastic materialslet through enough light for daylight detection. The sensors are in aknown manner connected such that threshold levels can be sensed andprovided to the control device 9. In order to distinguish the variationsof the daylight from other light changes the control device is athreshold value circuit or other circuits arranged to react only to theslow changes that daylight exhibits, and to filter off more rapidchanges in light for example, control device 9 may function inaccordance with the algorithm shown in FIG. 3.

An example of an algorithm that may be used in a program for calculationwhen dawn and dusk occur is shown in FIG. 3. This can be used forexample in a one chip computer of the type 68HC05, which may constitutethe main component in the control device 9. As can be seen in the flowchart a light counter counts through a number of steps of six seconds upto 255 or down to zero before dark or light is determined, whereby afilter against erroneous detection is obtained. This algorithm isincorporated as a part of the program that controls the switch 10.

In one embodiment of the switching device the control device is designedto connect the supply voltage to the output connectors when daylightceases and again disconnects the supply voltage from the outputconnectors at the time of the day when the switching device has beenconnected, or in other words when the switching device with anelectrical device connected thereto is plugged into a power supplyoutlet. This is repeated on a twenty-four hour basis by the controldevice being provided with a twenty-four hour timer, which may beconstructed as a program module and controlled by the line frequency.The twenty-four hour timer starts when the device is connected and givesa disconnection signal every twenty-four hours.

In a further embodiment of the switching device a timer circuitconnected to the control device is adjusted according to the daylight sothat the timer circuit is mainly synchronised with the time of the dayindependently of where or at what time of night and day or the year thatthe switching device is connected. The timer circuit connected to thecontrol device is self adjusted by automatically setting a time midwaybetween a times when daylight ceases and a time when daylight returns asmidnight. The control device can be designed such that it activates theswitch when the daylight ceases and activates it again when the adjustedtimer circuit indicates a predetermined time of the day. Before thetimer circuit is adjusted, that is during the first day and night thatthe device is connected, switching off may be carried out according to afixed programmed time.

In a still further embodiment of the switching device according to theinvention, it is provided with means for a random connection anddisconnection of the circuit. The object of such a design can forexample be to give the impression that there are people in a habitationor premises thereby in order to prevent burglary attempts. Thisembodiment is preferably combined with any of the above stated functionsso that the random connection and disconnection only occurs when thecircuit otherwise should be closed.

Another embodiment of the invention is designed such that a sensor isadapted to sense signals from an external transmitter or remote controlso that the signals from this may actuate a switch to turn on, put outor control the supply voltage of a lamp, or actuate other functions inthe program of the control device, whereby these functions may becontrolled without the switching device having to be touched or beingprovided with keys or other connection elements.

Through the invention a very compact structure of switching devices ofthe type including timers and similar control devices is achieved.Functions that previously only could be provided by means of bulkyapparatuses can be built into housings that are only slightly biggerthan a plug in accordance with the preferred embodiments.

The invention as described with reference to various embodiments isintended to meet various requirements of functions for time and sensorcontrolled switches. Within the scope of the invention there are alsovarious combinations of the functions described in the embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A switching device insertable between an electricoutlet and a load, the switching device comprising:a switch; electroniccircuits; a control device included in and controlling said electroniccircuits according to predetermined conditions; and a circuit board thatsupports a substantial part of said electronic circuits, said circuitboard supporting two male connectors connectable to a supply voltage andbeing arranged substantially perpendicular out from a first side of saidcircuit board and two female connectors for supplying an output voltageand being arranged substantially perpendicular out from an oppositesecond side of said circuit board, said male and female connectors beingcentered about an axis perpendicular to said circuit board and beingmounted on said circuit board at locations about the axis atsubstantially right angles in relation to each other.
 2. The switchingdevice according to claim 1, wherein said control device is connected tomeans for detecting daylight, said control device sensing when daylightceases and returns in accordance with said means for detecting.
 3. Theswitching device according to claim 2, wherein said control deviceconnects the supply voltage to said female connectors when daylightceases and disconnects the supply voltage from said female connectorstwenty-four hours after a time of day when the switching device wasinserted into the electric outlet.
 4. The switching device according toclaim 2, wherein said control device comprises a timer module that isself-adjusted after daylight to be synchronized with time of dayindependently of where and what time of day and year the switchingdevice is inserted into the electric outlet.
 5. The switching deviceaccording to claim 4, wherein said timer module is automaticallyself-adjusted by setting a time midway between a time when daylightceases and a time when daylight returns as midnight.
 6. The switchingdevice according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said control device actuatessaid switch when daylight ceases and reactuates it when said timermodule as self-adjusted indicates a predetermined time of day.
 7. Theswitching device according to claim 1, further comprising means forrandom connection and disconnection of the supply voltage and saidfemale connectors.
 8. The switching device according to claim 1, furthercomprising sensor means for detecting signals from an externaltransmitters, said control device being actuable in accordance with thesignals received by said sensor means.
 9. The switching device accordingto claim 2, further comprising means for random connection anddisconnection of the supply voltage and said female connectors.
 10. Theswitching device according to claim 3, further comprising means forrandom connection and disconnection of the supply voltage and saidfemale connectors.
 11. The switching device according to claim 4,further comprising means for random connection and disconnection of thesupply voltage and said female connectors.
 12. The switching deviceaccording to claim 5, further comprising means for random connection anddisconnection of the supply voltage and said female connectors.
 13. Theswitching device according to claim 6, further comprising means forrandom connection and disconnection of the supply voltage and saidfemale connectors.
 14. The switching device according to claim 3,wherein said control device further comprises a twenty-four hour timerwhich starts when the switching device is inserted into the electricoutlet and generates a turn-off signal every twenty-four hours.
 15. Aswitching device insertable between an electric outlet and a load, theswitching device comprising:a switch; electronic circuits; a controldevice for controlling said electronic circuits according topredetermined conditions; and a circuit board that supports asubstantial part of said electronic circuits; said circuit board alsosupporting two first connectors connectable to a supply voltage andbeing arranged substantially perpendicular out from a first side of saidcircuit board and two second connectors for supplying an output voltageand being arranged substantially perpendicular out from an oppositesecond side of said circuit board; said first and second connectorsbeing centered about an axis perpendicular to said circuit board andbeing mounted on said circuit board at locations about the axis atsubstantially right angles in relation to each other.
 16. The switchingdevice of claim 15, wherein said control device connects the supplyvoltage to said second connectors when daylight ceases and disconnectsthe supply voltage from said second connectors every twenty-four hoursafter a time of day when the switching device was inserted into theelectric outlet.
 17. The switching device of claim 15, wherein saidcontrol device connects the supply voltage to said second connectorswhen daylight ceases.
 18. The switching device of claim 17, wherein saidcontrol device comprises a timer module that is self-adjustable afterdaylight to be synchronized with time of day independently of where andwhat day and year the switching device is inserted into the electricoutlet,said switching device disconnecting the supply voltage from saidsecond connectors every twenty-four hours after a time of day when theswitching device was inserted into the electric outlet, afterself-adjustment of said timer module to be synchronized with the time ofday.
 19. The switching device of claim 18, wherein said timer module isautomatically self-adjustable by setting a time midway between a timewhen daylight ceases and a time when daylight returns as midnight. 20.The switching device of claim 17, wherein said control device furthercomprises a twenty-four hour timer which starts when the switchingdevice is inserted into the electric outlet and generates a turn-offsignal every twenty-four hours.
 21. The switching device of claim 15,wherein said first connectors are male connectors and said secondconnectors are female connectors.